IOA annuls Abhay Chautala, Suresh Kalmadi’s appointment as life presidents
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has denied passing of any resolution to appoint Abhay Chautala and Suresh Kalmadi as life presidents, as was reported in the end of December. IOA president N Ramachandran said no resolution to appoint Abhay Chautala and Suresh Kalmadi as life presidents was passed in the Chennai AGM
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) denied passing of any resolution to appoint Abhay Chautala and Suresh Kalmadi as life presidents, as was reported in the end of December.
IOA president N Ramachandran said no resolution to appoint Abhay Chautala and Suresh Kalmadi as life presidents was passed in the Chennai AGM, the ANI reported on Tuesday.
Kalmadi -- a former IOA chief -- and Chautala -- a Haryana MLA -- were named as patrons after the IOA’s annual general meet in Chennai on December 28, when IOA said their return to top sports body was ‘unanimous’.
But after a major uproar by the sports ministry, the BJP and the Congress over their appointment, first Suresh Kalmadi and later Chautala, refused the position.
On Decemeber 30, the sports ministry had suspended the IOA for not replying to a show-cause notice that asked the body to explain why it had named Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay SIngh Chautala as life-presidents.
The sports ministry had issued the showcause notice on December 28, a day after the association’s AGM in Chennai had unanimously decided to bring back former chiefs Kalmadi and Chautala as life patrons.
The sports ministry had given the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) three days to reply to the notice. That deadline expired on Friday. The IOA has sought a 15-day period to respond, saying its president Ramachandran “is abroad.”
At the time, sports minister Vijay Goel told reporters that the IOA was “being suspended” till Kalmadi and Chautala were removed officially. Both Kalmadi and Chautala have corruption charges against them.
“Sports is a public property and Indian Olympic Association has to abide by the laws of the land. It is not their personal property and do whatever they want,” said Goel.
Kalmadi had already taken a backward step, declining the IOA offer after he had come under heavy fire from several quarters that highlighted his tainted record as IOA chief.
In a letter to the IOA earlier this week, Kalmadi wrote the time to accept the role of life president was not “appropriate” and he will accept it when his “name will be cleared.”